Fall always starts early in mobile computing. After Samsung last month, it’s Google’s turn to present its new smart devices, in an event where artificial intelligence once again stole the show from next-generation phones, watches, headphones and… thermostats.
The few days before the holidays remain when consumers buy these products in greater numbers, but in recent years, manufacturers have tried to distinguish themselves by bringing forward the launch of their new products. The Made by Google conference held this Tuesday in Mountain View was therefore the occasion to see the Pixel 9 phones, the Pixel Watch 3 watch, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 headphones and the Nest and Google TV devices that will be possible to slip under the tree… in five months.
If there’s one theme to remember, it’s probably generative AI, called Gemini, which the company best known for its search engine is putting in all of its devices this year.
Four Pixel 9s, including a foldable one
Google is taking the opportunity to revise the name of its Pixel Fold, which becomes the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. This phone with two screens, including a foldable one that is 8 inches diagonal, is the flagship model of the Pixel range, which certainly enjoys critical success, but is struggling to take off in terms of sales. Google would not hold 3% of the smartphone market in North America, according to industry data; Samsung and Apple are far ahead.
Gemini, the generative AI Google built from scratch to address the arrival of OpenAI’s ChatGPT two years ago, is ubiquitous across all four versions of the Pixel 9 (which includes the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL, which have 6.3- and 6.8-inch diagonal displays). Its mobile-friendly version, called Gemini Nano, is installed everywhere. On the Pro models, it comes with a free one-year subscription to Gemini Advanced, a more powerful cloud-based version.
In any case, we can submit questions to it by text or orally, photos or sound clips, and it would be able to generate more satisfactory answers than what the Google Assistant, the digital companion included in the Android mobile system, has reserved for us until now.
Google says it’s an all-new processor, called Tensor G4, that’s making all this possible. It’s said to be up to 20 percent more powerful than its predecessor, the Pixel 8’s Tensor G3, and will allow Gemini to account for up to 45 “ tokens » (information units) per second. For information, the most muscular version of Gemini can take into account a maximum of 1.5 million of these tokensbut not necessarily in the same second.
All Pixel 9s have a new camera, better integrated into their physical design, and benefit from many small automated editing applications also drawn from AI. Their price starts at $799. Google promises up to 7 upgrades to their Android system, which implies increased durability compared to other Android phones currently on the market.
AI in the ear
Gemini is also making the jump to the Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds, which feature enhanced ambient noise cancellation and more immersive sound thanks to a Tensor A1 processor designed specifically to make listening to music and talking hands-free more natural.
These headphones are sold as an accessory to the Pixel 9 and the Pixel Watch 3, which now comes in two versions: its round dial can be 41 mm or 45 mm in diameter, your choice.
The watch comes loaded with Google and Fitbit’s fitness tracking apps, can analyze exercise and sleep quality in real time, and even goes a step further by offering longer-term health advice, which takes into account fatigue levels and previous performance to suggest more or less intense workouts.
The Pixel Watch 3 also features UWB wireless technology, which will allow it to act as a wireless digital key, a feature that can be used to unlock other nearby devices, such as a personal computer or a compatible car. BMW and Mini are partners with Google in this adventure.
Gemini for home
Google is finally promising to make Gemini a versatile home automation assistant by integrating it with its Nest thermostats, its new Google TV digital TV receiver and its possible future home products.
Eventually, Google even hopes that Gemini will be able to analyze video from existing surveillance cameras to make them easier to use. You could ask it simple things like “did the kids leave their bikes outside?” and the AI would find the right answer from the video archives.
It is the Google TV receiver that will now act as the hub of the connected home. The device will replace Chromecast keys in the future and will be able to accommodate more streaming services, thanks to its 32 GB of onboard storage, but here again, it is the AI that shines, since it will have the task of putting all these services in order to present the best video content on the screen, no matter where it comes from.